Israel quietly rejoices

Death of Hamas figurehead causes tremors in the Middle East

(Bild: AFP/Said KHATIB)

The killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is causing diplomatic uproar. Turkey speaks of a "shameful assassination", while Israel is already rejoicing. The man who was killed was regarded as a leading figure within the Islamist group - and was one of the main negotiators for a ceasefire.

"This attack also aims to expand the Gaza war to an international dimension," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had once again shown that "it has no intention of making peace".

Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Hamas politburo, threatened consequences and declared that the "assassination" of his boss was a "cowardly act" and would not go unanswered.

Iran's leadership promises "harsh punishment"
Iran now wants to move even closer to the Palestinians. The blood of the Hamas leader will never be shed in vain, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry told Iranian state media.

Haniyeh was regarded as the political leader of Hamas:

Iran's spiritual leader, Ali Khameni, left no doubt that the signs point to escalation: "The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime has prepared the ground for harsh punishment, and we consider it our duty to avenge his martyrdom on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The terrorist leader has been living in luxury in Qatar since 2017.

(Bild: AFP/Said KHATIB)

Haniyeh ordered murders, but presented himself as moderate in public.

(Bild: Iranian Photojournalist IRNA News Agency)

Haniyeh had shaped Hamas since the 1980s.

(Bild: AFP/Mohammed ABED)

The mediating state of Qatar did not hold back either. Chief diplomat Muhammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani resorted to unusually harsh tones. He casts doubt on further negotiations with Israel: "How can mediation be successful if one party assassinates the other side's negotiator?" Peace requires "serious partners" and a global stance against the disregard for human life.

Critical tones from Moscow and Beijing
Russia strongly condemned the killing of the political Hamas leader. "This is an absolutely unacceptable political murder that will lead to a further escalation of tensions," the RIA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. Beijing also expressed concern about the incident.

USA keeping a low profile
When asked whether Israel was involved in the assassination of the Hamas leader and whether the USA had been informed in advance, US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin replied to the New York Times: "I have nothing to say about that."

Even before the attack became known, he told journalists on Tuesday that the USA would do everything to ensure that the "temperature is lowered" and problems are solved by diplomatic means. In an emergency, the United States would "help Israel defend itself".

The scene described for review: 

Hamas and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had previously announced that Haniyeh had been killed in Tehran. According to Hamas, the terrorist leader was killed in an Israeli attack "on his residence in Tehran". This is said to have been an attack from the air.

Silence and jubilation in Israel
There were initially no official statements from the Israeli government or military. Two right-wing nationalist Israeli ministers reacted with satisfaction to the news of the Hamas leader's death. "Haniyeh's death makes the world a little better," wrote Amichai Eliyahu, Minister of Cultural Heritage, on Platform X.

Amichai Chikli posted a video clip of Haniyeh at a meeting calling for the "death of Israel". "Be careful what you wish for," he wrote as a comment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the country's security chiefs later today, a spokesman for his office said.

Meanwhile, former military members are celebrating the assassination on Israeli television. In a panel discussion broadcast live on Israel's Channel 12, Amos Gilad, a reserve general, described the killings in the heart of enemy territory as "an amazing achievement". However, questions would arise about Israel's long-term strategy. After all, the Hamas chief had been an important part of the peace negotiations.

Hamas leader set the direction
Haniyeh, who normally lived in Qatar, was the face of Hamas' international diplomacy. However, his ideas were also radical and aimed to eradicate Israel. Since 2017, he has headed the Hamas politburo and was most recently regarded as the overarching leadership figure.

Haniyeh with his mentor Sheikh Yassin in 2002.

(Bild: AFP/Fayez Nureldine)

Haniyeh has been an important figure in Hamas since the late 1980s, for example as the office manager of Sheikh Yassin, the group's spiritual leader and founder. He survived an assassination attempt in 2003, when he and his mentor were already targeted by Israel.

Haniyeh survived an Israeli assassination attempt
The Israeli military assassinated Yassin the following year. "You don't have to cry," Haniyeh told a crowd gathered outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City at the time. "You must be steadfast and you must be ready to take revenge. 

You must stand firm and you must be ready to take revenge.

Ismail Haniyeh

Bild: AP

The political leader spent years in Israeli custody and has been living in exile since 2017. Haniyeh was appointed head of Hamas in the same year and has since shuttled between Turkey and Qatar's capital Doha. Three of his sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. 

Haniyeh raked in billions
His quarters abroad enabled him to act as a negotiator in peace talks or to arrange deals with Iran. He himself lived a luxurious life in exile for years while his compatriots in the Gaza Strip starved. The fortune of Haniyeh and his family is estimated at several billion dollars.